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U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OF   AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  ENTOMOLOGY— BULLETIN  No.  94. 

L.  O.  HOWARD,  Entomologist  and  Chief  of  Bureau. 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  FORESTS  AND 
FOREST  PRODUCTS. 


CONTENTS  AND  INDEX 


Issued  September  9,  1916. 


UNIV.  OF  FL  LIB. 
DOCUMENTS  DEPT. 

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1916, 


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U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  ENTOMOLOGY— BULLETIN  No.  94. 

L.  O.  HOWARD,  Entomologist  and  Chief  of  Bureau. 


INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  FORESTS  AND 
FOREST  PRODUCTS. 


DAMAGE  TO  CHESTNUT  TELEPHONE  AND  TELEGRAPH  POLES 
BY  WOOD-BORING  INSECTS.  ' 

By  THOMAS  E.  SNYDER,  M.  F.,  Agent  and  Expert. 

II.  BIOLOGY  OF  THE  TERMITES  OF  THE  EASTERN 

UNITED  STATES.  WITH  PREVENTIVE 

AND  REMEDIAL  MEASURES, 

By  THOMAS  E>  SNYDER,  M.  F.,  Entomological  Assistant 
Forest  Insect  Investigations. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE. 

1916. 


BUREAU  OF  ENTOMOLOGY. 

L.  0.  Howard,  Entomologist  and  Chief  of  Bureau. 

C.  L.  Marlatt,  Entomologist  and  Assistant  Chief  of  Bureau. 

E.  B.  O'Leary,  Chief  Clerk  and  Executive  Assistant. 

F.  H.  Chittenden,  in  charge  of  truck  crop  and  stored  product  insect  investigations. 

A.  D.  Hopkins,  in  charge  of  forest  insect  investigations. 

W.  D.  Hunter,  in  charge  of  southern  field  crop  insect  investigations. 

,  in  charge  of  cereal  and  forage  insect  investigations. 

A.  L.  Quaintance,  in  charge  of  deciduous  fruit  insect  investigations. 

E.  F.  Phillips,  in  charge  of  bee  culture. 

A.  F.  Burgess,  in  charge  of  gipsy  moth  and  brown-tail  moth  investigations. 

Rolla  P.  Currie,  in  charge  of  editorial  work. 

Mabel  Colcord,  in  charge  of  library. 

Forest  Insect  Investigations. 

A.  D.  Hopkins,  Forest  Entomologist  in  charge. 

H.  E.  Burke  (in  charge  of  Pacific  Slope  Station  at  Placerville,  Gal.),  Josef  Brun- 
ner  (in  charge  of  Northern  Rocky  Mountain  Station  at  Missoula,  Mont.),  T.  E. 
Snyder,  W.  D.  Edmonston  (in  charge  of  Southern  Rocky  Mountain  Station  at 
Colorado  Springs,  Colo.),  F.  C.  Craighead,  J.  M.  Miller  (in  charge  of  seed  insect 
station  at  Ashland,  Oreg.),  and  A.  B.  Champlain,  assistants  in  forest  entomology. 

L.  C.  Griffith,  assistant  in  shade  tree  insects. 

S.  A.  Rohwer,  specialist  on  forest  Hymenoptera  (in  charge  of  Eastern  Station  at  East 
Falls  Church,  Va.). 

A.  G.  Boving,  specialist. 

C.  T.  Greene,  specialist  on  forest  Diptera. 

W.  S.  Fisher,  specialist  on  forest  Coleoptera. 

Carl  Heinrich,  specialist  on  forest  Lepidoptera. 

Jacob  Kotinsky,  entomological  assistant. 

William  Middleton,  scientific  assistant. 
II 


PREFACE. 


Bulletin  94,  entitled  "Insects  Injurious  to  Forests  and  Forest 
Products,"  consists  of  two  parts  and  an  index. 

Part  I,  "Damage  to  Chestnut  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Poles  by 
Wood-Boring  Insects,' '  by  Thomas  E.  Snyder,  comprises  the  results  of 
a  special  study  of  a  serious  damage  to  the  base  of  standing  chestnut 
telephone  and  telegraph  poles  by  the  wood-boring  larva  of  a  beetle 
designated  by  the  author  as  the  chestnut  telephone-pole  borer 
(Parandra  brunnea  Fab.). 

Part  II,  "Biology  of  the  Termites  of  the  Eastern  United  States, 
with  Preventive  and  Remedial  Measures,"  by  Thomas  E.  Snyder, 
is  based  mainly  on  investigations  and  experiments  conducted  during 
the  past  three  years  by  Mr.  Snyder  in  connection  with  his  work  in  the 
Branch  of  Forest  Insect  Investigations.  It  also  includes  unpublished 
notes  by  Messrs.  H.  G.  Hubbard  and  F.  L.  Odenbach.  Termites  are 
among  the  most  destructive  insects  to  both  crude  and  finished  forest 
products  in  North  America,  among  which  may  be  listed  construction 
timbers  in  bridges  and  wharves,  telephone  and  telegraph  poles,  hop 
poles,  mine  props,  fence  posts,  lumber  piled  on  the  ground,  railroad 
ties,  and  the  woodwork  of  buildings.  The  sudden  crumbling  of 
bridges  and  wharves,  the  caving  in  of  mines,  and  the  settling  of  floors 
in  buildings,  are  sometimes  directly  due  to  the  concealed  work  of 
these  insects.  The  use  of  untreated  wood-pulp  products,  such  as  the 
various  composition-board  substitutes  for  lath,  etc.,  is  restricted  in 
the  Tropics  and  southern  United  States  because  of  the  ravages  of 
termites.  In  the  cities  of  Washington,  Baltimore,  St.  Louis,  Cleve- 
land, New  York,  and  Boston,  and  throughout  the  eastern  and  south- 
ern United  States,  damage  by  termites  to  the  woodwork  of  buildings 
is  occasionally  serious. 

Methods  of  prevention  and  control  against  injuries  to  finished  and 
utilized  forest  products,  etc.,  are  based  on  the  results  of  experiments 
conducted  by  this  branch  of  the  bureau. 

A.  D.  Hopkins, 

Forest  Entomologist. 


CONTENTS. 


I.  Damage  to  chestnut  telephone  and  telegraph  poles  by  wood-boring  in-  Page. 

sects Thomas  E.  Snyder. .  1 

Object  of  paper 1 

Historical  data 1 

The  chestnut  telephone-pole  borer  (Parandra  brunnea  Fab.) 3 

Character  of  the  insect 3 

Distribution 4 

Character  of  the  injury 4 

Importance  of  the  problem 5 

Extent  of  damage  and  loss 6 

Favorable  and  unfavorable  conditions  for  destructive  work 6 

Associated  wood-boring  insects 7 

Prevention  of  the  injury 8 

Publications  on  wood  preservation  and  statistics  on  poles 11 

II.  Biology  of  the  termites  of  the  eastern  United  States,  with  preventive  and 

remedial  measures Thomas  E.  Snyder. .  13 

Introduction 13 

Classification : 14 

Historical 16 

Biological  experiments 20 

The  termitarium 20 

Communal  organization 22 

Situation  of  the  nests 22 

Number  of  individuals  in  colonies 25 

The  different  castes — polymorphism 27 

The  sense  organs 31 

The  functions  of  the  castes 32 

The  life  cycle 33 

The  metamorphosis — caste  differentiation 33 

Progressive  development  of  nymphs 36 

Seasonal  variations  in  the  colony 43 

Eggs 43 

Nymphs  of  reproductive  forms 43 

"Neoteinic  reproductive  forms 44 

Workers 44 

Soldiers 45 

Location  of  the  colony  in  winter 45 

Duration  of  development  and  life 46 

Cannibalism 46 

Situation  of  the  different  forms  in  the  nest 47 

The  swarm,  or  so-called  nuptial  flight 48 

The  establishment  of  the  new  colonies 49 

Copulation  and  the  rate  of  egg  laying 50 

v 


VI  INSECTS   INJURIOUS    TO    FOREST   PRODUCTS. 

II.  Biology  of  the  termites  of  the  eastern  United  States,  with  preventive  and 

remedial  measures — Continued.  Page. 

The  royal  pair  and  other  reproductive  forms 53 

Occurrence  in  the  United  States : 53 

Historical 54 

Description  of  the  reproductive  forms 65 

Dates  of  the  swarming  of  Leucotermes 68 

Association  with  ants 70 

Termitophilous  insects 71 

Parasites 72 

Summary  and  conclusions  based  on  the  results  of  the  experiments 72 

The  damage  to  forest  products 75 

Preventives,  remedies,  and  "immune"  woods 76 

Method  of  obtaining  photographs  for  the  illustrations 82 

Bibliography 83 

Index 87 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PLATES. 

Page. 

Plate  I.  Fig.  1. — The  chestnut  telephone-pole  borer  (Parandra  brunnea): 
Male  and  female  beetles.  Fig.  2. — The  chestnut  telephone-pole 
borer:  Young  larvae,  dorsal  and  lateral  views.  Fig.  3. — Damage 
to  an  untreated  chestnut  telegraph  pole  near  surface  of  ground  by 

the  chestnut  telephone-pole  borer 2 

II.  Work  of  the  chestnut  telephone-pole  borer.'  Fig.  1. — Gallery  of  the 
chestnut  telephone-pole  borer  showing  pupal  chamber  with  the 
entrance  plugged  with  excelsior-like  wood  fibers;  work  near  base 
of  pole  below  ground.  Fig.  2. — Mines  of  the  chestnut  telephone- 
pole  borer  near  surface  of  ground 4 

III.  All  castes  of  Leucotermes  virginicus   in  heartwood  of  a  maple  tree 

infested  by  Parandra  brunnea 22 

IV.  Book  destroyed  by  termites 22 

V.  Pine  barn  sill  cut  into  ribbons  by  termites 22 

VI.  Living,  stag-headed  chestnut  tree  infested  for  entire  length  by  ter- 
mites; the  insects  entered  the  tree  at  the  base  through  a  lightning 

scar  and  honeycombed  the  heartwood 22 

VII.  Views  of  sheds  constructed  by  Leucotermes  virginicus  to  cover  up 
galleries  exposed  on  cross  sections  of  logs  sawn  from  an  infested 

maple  tree « 26 

VIII.  Lateral  views  of  fully  developed  nymphs  of  the  first  and  second 
forms,  and  lateral  and  dorsal  views  of  neoteinic  kings  of  Leuco- 
termes flavipes 30 

IX.  The  evolution  of  the  soldiers  of  Leucotermes  virginicus  and  L.  flavipes 
from  the  large-headed  worker-like  larvae,  showing  the  changes  at 

the  molts 34 

X.  Quiescent  stages  during  the  final  molt  of  nymphs  of  the  first  form  of 
Leucotermes  flavipes  and  the  active  molted  nymph  with  wings 
unfolding,  lateral  and  dorsal  views 38 

XI.  Quiescent  stages  during  the  final  molt  of  nymphs  of  the  second  form 
of  Leucotermes  flavipes  and  the  pigmented  neoteinic  king,  lateral 

and  dorsal  views 38 

XII.  Fig.  1. — "Royal  cells,"  in  which  true  queens  of  Leucotermes  flavipes 
were  found.  Fig.  2. — Royal  chamber  excavated  in  solid  chestnut 
wood,  in  which  40  neoteinic  reproductive  forms  of  Leucotermes 
flavipes  were  found 46 

XIII.  Comparison  of  true  and  neoteinic  or  supplementary  queens  of  Leuco- 

termes flavipes 58 

XIV.  Neoteinic  reproductive  forms  of  Leucotermes  virginicus ._ 58 

XV.  Dorsal,  lateral,  and  ventral  views  of  neoteinic  nymphal  or  supple- 
mentary queens  of  Leucotermes  flavipes 62 

XVI.  Comparison  of  abdomens  of  young,  fertilized,  true  queen  and  young 

and  old  mature  kings  of  the  same  type  of  Leucotermes  flavipes 62 

XVII.  Fig.  1. — Telegraph  pole,   with  base   charred,   mined  by  termites. 

Fig.  2. — Pine  flooring  honeycombed  by  termites 74 

VII 


Vni  IXSKCTS  INJURIOUS  TO  FOREST  PRODUCTS. 

TEXT    FIGURES. 

Page. 
Fig.    1.  The  chestnut  telephone-pole  borer  {Parandra  brunnea):  Full-grown 

larva 3 

2.  The  chestnut  telephone-pole  borer:  Female  beetle,  head  and  pro- 

notum  of  male  beetle ■ 4 

3.  The  chestnut  telephone-pole  borer:  Pupa 5 

4.  View  of  a  portion  of  the  large  number  of  treated  experimental  stakes 

under  test  as  to  the  relative  effectiveness  of  various  preventives 
against  termite  attack 19 

5.  Views  of  unfinished  and  finished  termitarium,  showing  structure  and 

interior  with  termite-infested  wood 21 

0.  Wood  of  outer  layers  at  base  of  insect-killed  southern  yellow  pine 

honeycombed  by  termites .  24 

7.  Suspended  tubes  constructed  by  termites  of  earth  and  excreted  wood.        26 

8.  Broken-off  pine  sapling  from  basal  end  of  which  tubes  in  figure  7 

were  suspended  toward  stump 27 

9.  Nymphs  and  soldiers  of  Leucotermes  virginicus;  young  nymphs,  and 

grayish-black  bands  on  abdomen  of  worker  of  flavipes 29 

10.  Molting  larvae  of  Leucotermes  flavipes  in  the  quiescent  stage 34 

11.  Molting  nymph  of  the  first  form  of   Termopsis  angusticollis  in  the 

quiescent  stage 39 

12.  View  of  a  swarm  of  Leucotermes  flavipes  showing  a  portion  of  the  enor- 

mous number  of  winged,  colonizing  sexed  adults  that  constitute  a 
swarm,  emerging  from  an  infested  stump 48 

13.  Dorsal,  ventral,  and  lateral  views  of  a  fertilized,  mature,  true  queen 

of  Leucotermes  flavipes,  showing  the  position  of  the  spiracles 67 

14.  Red-oak  block  impregnated  with  paraffin  wax  honeycombed  by  ter- 

mites after  a  five  months'  test 78 


ERRATUM. 

Page  10,  footnote  a.  for  Priorus  read  Prionus. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 

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